Chatgpt ad prices drop sharply as openai prepares global auction rollout

Friday 17 April 2026 - 16:00

By: Dakir Madiha

Chatgpt ad prices drop sharply as openai prepares global auction rollout

Advertising costs on ChatGPT have fallen significantly since OpenAI launched its pilot ad program in February, with cost per thousand impressions dropping from about 60 dollars to around 25 dollars. The decline reflects a broader shift in strategy as the company moves toward scaling its advertising model globally and expanding access to a wider range of advertisers.

Early participants in the program have reported CPM ranges between 25 and 35 dollars, with some estimates suggesting even lower pricing in certain cases. The price compression has coincided with a reduction in the minimum ad spend requirement, which dropped from as high as 250,000 dollars at launch to 50,000 dollars in early April. This adjustment has opened the platform to a more diverse pool of advertisers with varying budget levels.

Industry observers view the pricing shift as part of a structural transition rather than a sign of weak demand. Analysts suggest OpenAI is preparing to introduce a broader auction based system that would allow more advertisers to compete for placements at scale. The current setup does not yet include real time bidding, but the company has already expanded the pilot program to markets including Canada, Australia and New Zealand as it builds out its global footprint.

Advertising on ChatGPT remains limited to users on free and entry level plans, while paid subscribers on higher tiers are not exposed to ads. Criteo became the first official ad tech partner, connecting thousands of advertisers to the platform. OpenAI is also exploring potential integrations with The Trade Desk as part of a future programmatic advertising strategy.

Despite rapid rollout, the platform still faces key challenges around measurement and attribution. Advertisers lack independent tools to verify the effectiveness of impressions, particularly for post view performance. OpenAI is reportedly developing a conversion tracking pixel and plans to introduce cost per click and cost per action models, which could improve transparency and performance tracking.

Even after the decline, ChatGPT advertising remains more expensive than mainstream digital platforms. Average CPMs on Facebook are around 5 dollars, while TikTok averages closer to 3 dollars. Whether ChatGPT pricing stabilizes or declines further will be critical to OpenAI’s long term revenue ambitions, including projections of tens of billions in annual advertising revenue by the end of the decade.